


A Massage for the Medium

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Midnight Texas (TV)
Genre: Acceptance, Belly Rubs, Comfort, Emotions, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Healing, Manfred loves everyone in Midnight, Massage, Realisations, Season/Series 02, Sensuality, Spa Treatments, but not positive about the relationship, navel/belly button, past Manfred/Creek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 02:05:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16588688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Post S2e01 (but not canon for e2). Patience Lucero offers Manfred a massage at the spa to detoxify his body and process all the trauma he's been through. Even the always sceptical Olivia thinks the chance of relaxation would be beneficial. Manfred finds himself soothed by Patience's touch and comes to some realisations and acceptance of truths he's tried to avoid.





	A Massage for the Medium

**Author's Note:**

> I've not seen s2e2 yet so the fic won't be canon compliant after s2e1. Manfred didn't even get a hug after the healing/exorcism in e1 and I wanted to give him some comfort and to touch upon what the fandom seems to get more than the show writers given the prevalence of the tag; that it's the Midnighters as family that's important. I've drawn upon actual spa treatment/massage techniques, thrown in some of the mysticism associated with certain treatments, but have obviously taken liberties with the experience.

"Sorry!" Manfred looked up apologetically at Patience, who'd he just barrelled into, lost in his thoughts as he headed down Main Street.

"No harm done," she assured him and flashed a charming smile before she tipped her head. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," he said, puzzled.

Patience reached out to clasp his elbow, searching his face with a practised gaze. "You look tired. The demonic possession really took it out of you, didn't it?"

"I'll live." He gave her a smile. "Thanks to Kai."

"You know, there's something you could do to thank us," Patience said.

"Sure." He was a little taken aback but he owed Kai his life. If Patience wanted a reading, he would be happy to oblige.

"Come to the spa later." She reached into her purse, pressed a coupon into Manfred's hand. "Half-price offer on a healing massage. Detoxify your body and mind and give yourself a chance to process your emotions."

"Really?"

"It can't hurt to try, can it?"

Manfred agreed.

"If it does help, then you can give a genuine review of your experience and maybe it will encourage other locals to come and visit," Patience said. "Olivia came by, but I'm not sure how much she enjoyed the crystal healing. I didn't think it would be her thing anyway."

Manfred glanced at the paper. "I'll try and stop by," he promised and tucked it into his pocket.

Patience gave him another smile and went on her way. Manfred continued his stroll down to Home Cookin', trying not to bump into anyone else. It had been a long few weeks since his demonic possession and he'd barely slept until Kai had finally driven the last of the evil from his body. He was still exhausted physically and emotionally, both from the experience of being possessed and nearly harming his friends, and from losing Creek the moment he'd regained control of his life.

He picked at the apple pie he ordered. Olivia, sipping black coffee, raised an eyebrow.

"Not enough cinnamon? Too much?" she asked.

"Not enough hunger," Manfred said, putting aside his fork. "I ran into Patience Lucero." Literally, but no need to apprise Olivia of his clumsiness.

"Hard not to these days," Olivia said. She didn't trust the Luceros or their business and Manfred appreciated her scepticism. It was good that someone was always on guard, watching out for Midnight.

"She said you tried out their spa but didn't like it much."

Olivia shrugged. "I only went to scope out the place."

"And?"

"I'm not sure. It still feels wrong, but I can't prove anything. Yet." From her tone, she fully intended to prove her suspicions were correct. Manfred was more open-minded after all that had happened.

"She offered me a half-price massage," Manfred said, wanting to see Olivia's reaction.

Olivia finished her coffee. "Might not be a bad idea."

"So I can check the hotel out further?"

"Yes. But also," Olivia said, after the briefest of pauses, "it might do you good. I don't know about crystals or incense, that's Fiji's domain. But I do know a good massage can help with relaxation and I think you could do with some."

*

Manfred waved the now slightly crumpled coupon at the receptionist. "Mrs Lucero gave me this," he began but before he could say another word the woman herself was coming toward him.

"Manfred. I'm so glad you made it." She turned her head. "Mr Bernardo will settle up at the end of the session. Book us room four, would you?"

The receptionist nodded and went about her task. Patience gestured. "Come with me, Manfred."

He followed her up a flight of stairs and down a corridor. There was no sign of the spirits he'd seen at the windows when the renovation began. Maybe they were hiding out from all the incense which permeated the air, sweet and floral.

The room Patience led him to was plainly decorated, calming pastels on the walls and floor, a large picture of a seascape on one wall, the window covered by a cream blind and the room illuminated by dim lights and several candles on the pine table.

The table, a leather armchair, a hard wooden chair, and the message table were the only pieces of furniture. White towels were piled up on end of the table alongside a silver tray of bottles and creams, a tissue box, and another tray with a jug of water and two tall glasses. Near the door was a wall-mounted coat rack with two white robes hanging up.

"Why don't I give you a moment to undress?" Patience asked. " Down to your underwear if you're comfortable with that. You can put a robe on while you wait for me if you prefer. I'll be just a moment while I prepare."

"You're doing the massage?" Somehow he'd expected her to delegate the task.

"Of course," she said brightly and disappeared into the corridor.

Manfred closed the door and took a deep breath. The scent of lavender was strong but not unwelcoming. He took off his clothes, leaving them folded on the wooden chair and tucking his boots beneath the seat. He didn't bother with a robe but perched on the padded massage table, hoping Patience came back before he could change his mind.

She returned swiftly, her long hair now pinned back, a white uniform in place of her elegant clothing. She closed the door behind her, rubbing her hands together as she approached the table.

"Any allergies I should know about? Or any scents you'd rather I avoid?" she asked.

Manfred shook his head. "No. I'm all yours."

She laughed softly. "That's good. If you can give yourself over to me for the next hour I promise you'll feel better. Lie on your front, first, please."

Manfred did as he was told. He heard Patience opening bottles and then soft instrumental music began playing before she moved towards him.

"Relax," Patience said as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "You're safe here. This is your time to be at peace."

He wanted to believe her, wanted to buy into what sounded like a benediction. Peace.

Patience's touch was just the right mix of gentle but firm as she worked at his shoulders and arms. He caught the scent of citrus and something spicier he couldn't identify.

"Beautiful ink," Patience murmured as her fingers grazed one of his tattoos. "Meaningful, too, no doubt."

"Mmmm," Manfred agreed. "I always chose a new tattoo carefully."

Patience tended to his neck before she began to rub his back, hands sliding down his spine before she used her thumbs to stroke out from the centre to his sides in smooth movements, working up from the base of the spine towards his neck. It was occasionally uncomfortable though not painful, and her touch left a welcome warmth behind that was worth any discomfort.

"What about this?" Patience skirted the edge of the scar marking the exit wound from Hightower's wrath.

"Some of my clients are not satisfied customers," Manfred said drowsily, not wanting to tell her the truth. That part of his life was over now, Hightower gone, Violet laid to rest.

"You're a psychic. I guess that puts strain on you physically and emotionally – not to mention spiritually."

"You have no idea." The warmth of the dim room was soothing. Manfred let his eyes close.

"I'm moving to your legs," Patience said and Manfred let out a deep sigh. A sweep down to his ankles and then there was pressure as she worked back up to his thighs, stopping just before his brief-covered buttocks. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Manfred could lie here forever.

"You want to turn over now?"

She was giving him the choice but Manfred got the impression he was supposed to comply. With reluctance he shifted his weight.

"Easy does it," Patience told him, soft hands helping him roll over. "You might feel a little dizzy. There, that's it. Relax."

Manfred blinked at the light above before he closed his eyes again.

"I'll start low down," Patience said, and worked from ankles to thighs again. It was heavenly.

"Just a minute," she said. Manfred didn't stir though he felt a towel being laid over his legs. The added warmth only make him sleepier. More bottles were opened and then Patience was rubbing at his shoulders. He grunted as he felt something give and his eyes flickered open.

"Sorry," she said, rubbing in circular motions. "You're really tense there."

"I know." Sometimes he was tense all over, whether from sitting too long at the computer as he updated his websites, or from the more violent possessions.

"We all need to relax sometimes," Patience soothed. She stroked at his forehead, centre to sides, and down his cheeks. The scented oils gave Manfred a feeling of wellbeing. Gently, and in a non-threatening manner, she ran her hands down his throat and to his collarbone.

Time had ceased to have meaning. Manfred closed his eyes again as Patience massaged his chest, the muscles between each rib tended to.

His breathing slowed and deepened, and he was utterly content.

The sense of calm was disturbed when he felt Patience's hand settle on his abdomen, a little below his navel.

"Sssh," Patience soothed. "We carry a lot of repressed emotion in our stomach. Not just how we feel nausea when we're afraid, but a store of our past anxieties, stress, conflict, loss. The sacral chakra, some call it. A stomach massage can really help the overall detoxification, though not everyone likes the vulnerability of being touched so intimately."

He'd come this far. "All right." With some effort he closed his eyes and forced himself to take deeper breaths, letting the sounds and scents take him back to the brink of sleep.

"That's good," Patience said, skilled hands gliding over his torso, circling from his ribcage to right above his boxers. "Let go of whatever is causing you pain."

Her fingertips dug deeper, working from his sternum down the centre of his belly. She repeated the movement to his left side, then the right.

Let go; Manfred had to let go often enough to allow himself to be possessed. The massage was a different kind of surrender, one that grounded him in his body and brought wellbeing rather than tension. Pain was something he was acquainted with. As was loss.

His mother had abandoned him, thankfully to his grandmother's care, but it was a harsh blow he'd never fully be able to forgive.

His grandmother had died, slowly and painfully, though she cracked jokes constantly to hide her agony.

He'd come to Midnight with the wound from Hightower a warning that he could never stop looking over his shoulder. That at least was over now. Then he'd got mauled by the Rev, an unwelcome initiation into life in Midnight.

It seemed every week there was some danger to be faced that left him bruised or cut or near drowned from unwanted possession. He healed pretty quickly but the mental and emotional toll ran a little deeper, unseen.

Taking on Colconnar had come at a great cost. So many nights since he hadn't slept as the evil in his veins dragged him out to dig graves for the Midnighters, one for each of the eight he held dear. He'd suffered hallucinations and loss of control.

He'd racked up a number of injuries too, though the cut on his hand was rapidly mending, the marks of the Taser and the bruises from being smacked with a crowbar fading as if Kai's healing had been more than just some sort of exorcism.

He'd been saved and yet Manfred initially feared he'd lost the trust of his friends, his new found family. But they'd understood. They'd forgiven him.

Tears welled up. Manfred swallowed hard.

Except for Creek, who left. Dumped him without hesitation. He understood she needed some space. He understood her desire to make a life for herself, to get the education she'd been denied by her father. Yet why hadn't she gone before? Why had she stuck around, being part of his life for so long, if she wanted more?

She'd asked him to go with her, before seeing him possessed had scared her away. A sign she cared, surely? Yet she'd wanted him to leave Midnight, the only stable home he'd known since he was a child. Leave behind Fiji and Bobo and Olivia and Lem and Emilio and Joe and Chuy.

Anger rose up and Manfred bit at his lip. He took a sharp breath as Patience pressed her fingers firmly into his navel, depressing for a count of three, making one circle deep at his core, then released him. She continued to make more gentle circular movements around his torso, humming softly in time with the music he'd almost stopped hearing.

The anger was gone, but his thoughts continued to poke at his relationship with Creek the way a tongue constantly worried at the seat of a missing tooth.

"Home is wherever you are," Manfred had told Creek and maybe she'd seen the lie before he'd known it was untrue. He'd wanted it to be true because that was what a normal person did, wasn't it? Find one person in your life you cared about and follow them wherever they went, privileging above all else the person you were having sex with. Settling in Midnight had seemed a chance to become normal, not least because he was not the weirdest person in town...a relationship with Creek had been an attempt at normality.

He knew now that it could never have lasted. She was too young and naive, needed to explore the world and meet other people. He'd done his exploring and found Midnight to be a refuge whereas for her, Midnight had been almost a prison, kept here by her family's secrets. She'd stayed in town more out of familiarity than for Manfred, he realised that now. 

He stayed because Midnight was special. Mo matter how much he'd told Creek it was his love for her that brought him back when he'd tried to run that last time, it was the Midnighters and the family they'd become that he needed.

Sure, Midnight hadn't kept him safe from Hightower as his grandmother had suggested. It hadn't been safe when he'd been called on to defeat Colcannar. But it was somewhere safe to be who he was. It was a place where he had people he could trust and rely on. It was a place that needed and appreciated him, not the showman/con-artist The Great Manfredo, but the real Manfred.

Here he'd found Fiji, with her own special gifts, tortured by them at first but taught to control them by her aunt. He'd found Olivia, who rarely spoke of her past, but had told him enough that he knew her childhood had been unconventional and painful. He'd found Lem, who'd known his grandmother, and Emilio, who struggled with his innate nature.

Manfred had more in common with all of these than with Creek. He had more in common with Joe and Chuy, who were connected with the worlds beyond the Veil, and Bobo, who'd had to run from those who wanted to hurt him. Manfred hadn't wanted to admit to himself how he'd allowed feelings to develop for all these people. There was too much vulnerability in loving so many.

Tears fell despite himself as he relived the past few months. If he'd gone to Austin with Creek he'd have missed Fiji and her magic and her cookies. Would have missed Olivia's dependable practicality, Bobo's kindness and Lem's protectiveness, Emilio's compassion, Joe's strength and Chuy's courage.

Midnight was home. Midnighters were family. He could never have been happy if he'd left them. He could hold onto what pleasant memories he had of his time with Creek but had to let go of the rest. The necessary pain of their parting which probably should have come sooner and would have happened eventually would fade.

"We're all done," Patience said, awakening from his reverie. "Take a moment. I'll fetch you a robe."

He blinked, dizzy and momentarily disorientated. He let Patience help him to sit up and drape the robe over his shoulders, dressing him like a child, before leading him to the armchair.

She deposited the box of tissues in his lap and busied herself tidying the jars and bottles at the table. He took the opportunity to wipe his eyes and blow his nose.

Patience brought him a glass of water which he took gratefully.

"Sip," she told him, as he took a gulp. "You need to rehydrate but don't rush."

He took a few sips and she nodded approvingly. "I'm sorry," he said at last, gesturing to the crumpled tissues in his lap.

"Don't be," Patience said, crouching down to look him in the eye. "Didn't I say the massage would release all the toxins? That includes tensions and pent-up emotions. You needed this. I hope you'll feel better, especially after a good night's sleep."

He nodded. "Sleep sounds good. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Patience tipped her head. "You know what? This one is on the house. If you ever want to come back I'll give you a special deal, as you're a local. We have to make money but Kai and I are committed to helping people, and I know you help people too. We should all look out for one another."

Was she hinting she'd want a favour later? Manfred didn't care. The dizziness was gone and he felt serene and whole in a way he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

"Take your time, drink plenty of water," Patience said. "Get dressed only when you're ready."

She left him alone. The music stopped shortly after. Manfred finished his water and began to dress.

When he got outside the warm breeze brought the smell of food to his nostrils and he headed back to Home Cookin. He ordered and ate a club sandwich and a slice of apple pie, his appetite returned. Life was good.

**Author's Note:**

> [rebloggable tumblr promo post](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/179994762962/a-massage-for-the-medium-meridianrose)


End file.
